CHAPTER 15 MAXWELLS EQUATIONS UVic（第15章麦克斯韦方程维多利亚大学）.pdf

1 CHAPTER 15 MAXWELLS EQUATIONS 15.1 Introduction One of Newtons great achievements was to show that all of the phenomena of classical mechanics can be deduced as consequences of three basic, fundamental laws, namely Newtons laws of motion. It was likewise one of Maxwells great achievements to show that all of the phenomena of classical electricity and magnetism – all of the phenomena discovered by Oersted, Ampère, Henry, Faraday and others whose names are commemorated in several electrical units – can be deduced as consequences of four basic, fundamental equations. We describe these four equations in this chapter, and, in passing, we also mention Poissons and Laplaces equations. We also show how Maxwells equations predict the existence of electromagnetic waves that travel at a speed of 3 % 108 − 1 m s . This is the speed at which light is measured to move, and one of the most important bases of our belief that light is an electromagnetic wave. Before embarking upon this, we may need a reminder of two mathematical theorems, as well as a reminder of the differential equation that describes wave motion. The two mathematical theorems that we need to remind ourselves of are: The surface integral of a vector field over a closed surface is equal to the volume integral of its divergence. The line integral of a vector field around a closed plane curve is equal to the surface integral of its curl. A function f (x − vt )represents a function that is moving with speed v in the positive x-direction, and a function g (x + vt ) represents a function that is moving with speed v in the negative x- direction. It is easy to verify by substitution that y = Af +